Police fatally shoot naked man inside burning home

KGO

October 21, 2012 9:07:44 PM PDT

by Kira Klapper

VALLEJO, Calif. --

An early-morning domestic disturbance led to a fire and a police shooting in Vallejo. One man is dead and many questions remain following the incident on the 2500 block Of Alameda Street near Redwood Street.

"Dispatch got calls from multiple callers saying that there was a disturbance at the residence behind us here and that two men were fighting and breaking out windows in front of the house and trying to set the house on fire," Vallejo Police Lt. Lee Horton said.

When police responded to the smoky home just after 1:30 a.m. they encountered a 28-year-old man being identified only as Jason uncooperative and nude. Police say that's when another man, identified as 29-year-old Jeremiah, appeared, also naked, with a loaded rifle. He put the barrel of the rifle to an officer's stomach.

Jeremiah was pronounced dead at nearby Kaiser Hospital. Jason is now in custody.

After the altercation, the fire engulfed the home. Vallejo firefighters responded and quickly extinguished it.

While investigators still don't know what led to the late-night violent rampage, one neighbor told ABC7 News he thinks it was a lover's quarrel gone too far. He says the two men were a couple and that he heard them fight sometimes, but says never would've expected this.

"Wow, that's a bit disconcerting, but what are you going to do," Jesse Hall said.

Courtney Thomas owns the home where the men lived, noting their love of collecting old Mercedes cars, gardening and refurbishing antiques for resale.

"They were great; they were here for a little over two years, took care of the house, had no complaints, took care of the yard, paid their rent on time, just normal people," Thomas said.